Fish Climbing
by NowFlyAway
Summary: Hermione is working in London when she spots Lucius Malfoy interacting with Muggles almost naturally. After an interesting encounter with the elder Malfoy, Hermione is pulled into a power play that's darker than she realized. Her marriage to Ron is struggling on top of everything and Hermione is just trying to remember who she is in all of this. REVISION IN PROGRESS
1. Chapter 1: Fish Climbing

_**What you don't know doesn't hurt you; it's what you suspect that causes all the trouble.**_

 _ **Evan Esar**_

 **Chapter 1: Fish Climbing**

It'd been sometime since she'd seen the man that used to inspire fear in her. He was the first representation on what she needed to stand against in the wizarding world. A paragon of wealth, respect, and bigotry that she had been determined to beat. Her feelings of anger and malice she once had were replaced with feelings of pity and sympathy. She was not cold hearted or malicious about the man. In the end, he had chosen the love of his family as the most important thing. He had chosen love and she could respect that. Though, these days he had lost much since the war ended, just as she had.

That's the thing about war. Both sides believe it's worth fighting for.

So, that when she saw Lucius Malfoy walking down the road in the middle of muggle London, her breath caught from disbelief. He was dressed as a muggle businessman, but muggle clothing with no robes or wizarding finery. He sported an evergreen and charcoal scarf as he picked up a newspaper and _paid_ for it with actual euros. His hair was swept back from his crown in a low ponytail and he even cracked a smile to the man dealing the papers that displayed motionless pictures.

He didn't notice her as he took off across the street, waving to a motorist who waved back. It was like watching a fish climb a tree effortlessly. The most peculiar thing she'd ever seen, and she'd seen plenty of peculiar things. She just sat there with her tea clasped between her hands on the bitter Tuesday morning wrapped in a thick red scarf and knitted cap. She'd seen him on a Tuesday morning in the middle of muggle London _buying a newspaper._

Hermione was in muggle London for her own reasons but seeing Lucius Malfoy in London had piqued her interest and her suspicion. She continued to frequent the tea establishment, but she failed to see him again for another week.

"Are you sure, Hermione?" Harry asked over her cell. "You sure it wasn't just someone who looked like him?" Harry had been completely willing to buy a mobile phone as a means of instant contact with Hermione because owls took forever, and repeated castings of the Patronus Charm ended up being an exhaustive way to keep up a conversation.

She slammed her reusable mug on her small kitchen table. "Yes, Harry. It was him. What information does the Ministry have on him? Why would he be in London?" She stacked her most recent case files on the edge of her desk to be gone through, "Do you have any information that could help me?"

"No, I absolutely have nothing to tell you. And, even if I did, I wouldn't be permitted to share that information with you anyway. I have a duty to the oath I took." He said louder than normal, so that the people within his vicinity could hear him.

"Oh, yes. Terribly sorry, good sir" She smiled, glancing over at the books of information that Harry had floated to her over the years. She had requested a Seeker position in London about six months ago and had taken up residence in a little studio flat in North London. She liked it, but it made getting interesting cases rare. As a Seeker, she was to keep tabs on Muggle and Magical London and make sure the Statute of Secrecy was respected. And being alone in London made your information flow kind of slow. "I should never put you in such a situation." She paused, "How are Ginny and the kids? Maybe I could come over for dinner one weekend? I miss you guys."

He paused, and she heard the clink of glass, "They're all great. Miss you like crazy, too. But, how could they not?" he chuckled, "Albus got the book on transfiguration that you modified for him and he got in trouble for transfiguring the goblets in the Great Hall into miniature ostriches. _Mean,_ tiny ostriches running around pecking everyone. Thank you for that one. McGonagall was not happy."

Hermione smiled broadly into the phone as she listened to Harry tell her stories of all her nieces and nephews. Once she had married Ron, she had gotten the entirety of the Weasley family with a bonus of Harry as a brother-in-law. The holidays were full and fun and warm, her children were excelling in school and she had a job she loved for the most part.

Hermione smiled sadly and tucked an arm under her elbow. She bit her lip and said quietly, "And how's Ron? Is he doing okay?"

"Hermione…" Harry started; his voice strained. She could see in her mind how he would rub his forehead, trying to play negotiator between two of the most important people in his life. She knew she was the bad guy and that whatever he told her was precious as he had to carefully think about every word. He groaned loudly on the other side of the phone and she heard a chair creak loudly and a door rattle shut.

"I know, Harry. Just tell me he's okay." She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as a weight pressed down on her chest. The feeling of not knowing something had never sat well with Hermione Granger. And that feeling, that could once be filled by checked out books and copious inquiries, only lingered on the edge of her mind, unquenchable.

"He's not okay, Hermione. He's getting better, but he's still a blubbering mess." Harry let out a frustrated growl that sounded like a cornered animal. "Ginny still won't talk about you. I'd be bludgered just for talking to you now." She heard his chair creak loudly again. "I don't think dinner is a good idea."

"I know." She sucked in her breath as if he'd pinched her. "I'm sorry, Harry. For all of this." She pulled on the edge of her red sweater, pulling on a thread until all that was left was a frazzled edge. She glanced out of the grey and misty London night and sighed. "It's just really hard."

He set down something heavy before continuing, "Hermione, you could just come home. Did you really have to disappear? Just serving him with divorce papers was kind of wrong." His tone had switched a bit, but she could tell he was just trying to understand. "I think it's hard for both of you. You still love him, don't you? What is going on?"

"Yes, Harry…" her voice rasped involuntarily, and she felt the threat stinging her behind her eyes, "I was drowning, Harry. I know you can't understand. But, with Ron, I was just drowning, and I couldn't breathe. I was being absorbed into his idea of me and I wasn't myself anymore." She took a deep breath and looked up at the white ceiling above her, "If I came back, he'd just pull me back to him. I can't say no to him if he asks me, so I just had to leave." She felt her tears welling back up and she plastered a fake smile on her face and knocked loudly on the wall next to her, "I'm sorry, Harry. I must go! Give my love to everyone. Bye." Her thumb trembled as she hit the end button to his voice trying to stop her.

She curled up into her small yellow wingback chair and gazed out the rain splattered window, visions of laughing and family trailing through her mind. She'd left for the right reasons, even if no one else could see them. She wanted to do more with her life. She had to.

Hermione sat anxiously outside her handler's office, waiting to give him an update on the goings on in London. She hated coming to the Ministry because there were so many red heads and with her putting distance between her and Ron, the entire Weasley clan took it upon them to help the two sort out their issues. Which meant if any Weasley saw Hermione, they would alert Ron to her whereabouts immediately. She knew Ron was somewhere in the Ministry, she just hoped she'd be able to come and go without a scene.

Finally, the big door opened and a huge man by the name of Victor Freiter waved her inside. The man had no neck and his warm brown eyes were hidden under bushy grey eyebrows. She quickly walked past him and sat in the chair across from his desk. The huge man waddled around the desk in the small space and sat heavily on a chair that seemed to scream for help.

"Granger." He started, pulling out a thick folder from his desk drawer. It fell with a thud on the desk and he opened it up. "I have to say that this is the most organized, well thought out, eloquent, detailed, and wonderful piece of crap I've ever read."

Her beaming face slowly fell at his last few words. "Ex-excuse me sir?" She stuttered and shook her head a little at disbelief.

"You've given me misdemeanors with more details than some felony case files I have on record. Mrs. Granger, what exactly are you looking for in London?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I just wanted to be thorough in my descriptions."

"You didn't answer me, Granger. What are you looking for in London?" The man asked again, leaning somewhat back in his pleading chair.

Hermione had to bite her lip to not blurt out Lucius Malfoy, who had become her most recent quest to find in London. "Sir, I'm just wanting a place that I can work quietly for a while as everything blows over."

The man grunted in understanding, "Your thing with your husband?" Hermione looked down in her lap and nodded. "Mrs. Granger, you know that any evidence of domestic violence will fast track your divorce, right?"

"Yes, I know that." She said quietly. "There was never any abuse, Freiter. Don't worry about that. Just other things."

He shifted in his splintering chair and nodded, pulling out a red folder. "Since I have one of the best detectives under my belt right now, I'd like you to go check out this scene. All signs point to suicide, but I'd love it if you'd look it all over."

Hermione took the red folder in her hands and flipped it open. Flora Carrow had been found in her home dead after ingesting belladonna berries from her own garden. Hermione screwed her face up in thought as the thought of a similar case; the one of Narcissa Malfoy five years prior. She nodded and slid the folder into her satchel before standing up.

The man also stood and held out a huge meaty paw which she shook. "Keep doing the good work, figure out whatever is going on, and yadda yadda." He mumbled, shooing her from his office.

Hermione hefted the bag onto her shoulder and made her way quickly to the floo fireplaces located in the atrium of the Ministry. She pushed her way through the mass of bodies to wait in line. It was a long line and only two fires were lit at this time, a precaution the Ministry had taken very seriously. There were several entrances, but only so many exits.

She pulled the file from her bag and popped it open, reading it while the line ebbed slowly forward.

Case Number: HB00153467ZM

Date: 18 September 2019

Reporting Officer: Deputy R. Patil  
Prepared By: CPL Walker

Incident Type: Suspected Homicide 9/18/2019

Address of Occurrence: The Carrow Estate in Brighton, England

Witnesses:

Magpie: House Elf Employed by the Carrows. Female, 28

Hestia Carrow: Sister of deceased. Female, 30, Caucasian

Evidence:

Poisonous Belladonna plant

No sign of forced entry

Suicide Note

Weapon/Objects Used:

Belladonna Berries

Magpie the House elf arrived at the Ministry to request aid for the Carrows at 21:15 and I arrived on the scene at 21:34 on September 18th to find Hestia Carrow sitting beside the body of the deceased, Flora Carrow, 30, on the floor of the kitchen. A prognosis charm revealed a lethal ingestion of belladonna berries, remnants of which were found on her lips, fingers, and stained on her blouse. No forced entry into the estate was perceived and the wards on the estate had not been activated.

A suicide note was found beside the deceased. Item # 2 in Evidence lock up.

Hestia claimed to have just arrived home from a vacation in Greece, a story corroborated by the Portkey Department on her arrival and departure.

"A bit of light reading?" asked an incredibly familiar voice from behind her. She closed her eyes for a moment before slowly turning her head to see the tall and solid figure of Arthur Weasley, the man who had took her into his home since she was a young girl, the best grandfather to her children and the father of the man she was ardently hiding from. The man had aged gracefully, the only difference between now and when she'd met him being about twenty pounds around the middle and wisps of grey threading through his still fire colored hair. He'd maintained his position as Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office and was happy as could be.

"Hello, Arthur." Hermione involuntarily winced and he reached up and patted her shoulder.

"I didn't tell him you were here. You can relax." Hermione let go of a breath she'd trapped in her chest and nodded. She slipped her red folder back into her bag. "Did you know that Molly and I separated once? Back when Ron was a baby, before Ginny was even thought about?"

Hermione had to stop from snapping her neck around and looked at him confused. Molly and Arthur Weasley, the poster couple of a loving and wonderful family had separated? And while they had several children? "No, I didn't know that. What happened?"

Arthur smiled and pushed his hands in his pockets. "Well, I think what it boils down to be that Molly and I had grown into different people without worrying about getting to know each other along the way. She wasn't Molly Prewett anymore, I had no idea who she was." He stepped forward with the line along with Hermione. "And that was my fault. I put expectations on her that a mother of six kids couldn't complete. I didn't respect what she needed, and she told me she'd had enough and kicked me out."

Hermione was dumbfounded but continued to listen. "What happened?"

"I stopped expecting to see Molly Prewett when I saw her. It was the worst month of my life, trying to convince that I would change, could change. She finally took me back and I took a less important job at the Ministry so that I could help her more at home." He laughed and glanced up, "I love my job, but I used to be much more important. I didn't excel at job climbing because I decided spending time with my family was more important."

Hermione nodded. "I appreciate you confiding this in me. But, I'm not Molly."

Arthur nodded and pulled her around the shoulders to him in a hug. "No, you aren't Molly." He smiled at her, "But, you are my daughter. And that is never going to change, no matter what happens. Do you understand me?" His bright blue eyes shined with emotion as he looked at her and she nodded. "I don't know what you or Ron did to cause this divide, but I'm sure there's a way to fix it."

Hermione smiled at him and nodded. "Maybe." Her own eyes stung with emotion as she leaped up to hug him around the neck before flooing to the Carrow Estate.

The Carrow Estate was broad and large dark wood and bright white quartz floors with suspicious stains all over them. Hermione remembered that the elder Carrows, Alecto and Amycus, had been Death Eaters and had terrorized the school right before the end of Voldemort's reign. She found the kitchen easily enough and started inspecting the kitchen when a small pop announced the arrival of a tiny house elf wearing a purple checkered dish towel as a dress.

"You must leave, muggle filth. You is not welcome here." The elf attempted to shoo her away, but Hermione just smiled at her.

"I'm with the Ministry of Magic and I want to make sure what happened to Flora is what really happened to her. Was she a good mistress?" Hermione had dealt with dozens of house elves who held their pureblood supremacist family's ideologies either out of self-preservation or brain washing. But she found that kindness was the most often thing that worked on the loyal creatures.

The tiny house elf twisted the towel in her hands before she responded quietly, "Mistress was the best mistress. Magpie knew she threw out new towels just for Magpie, but she wouldn't admit it." Magpie twisted her towel-dress in her hands before saying, "You should really go though." And she snapped her fingers and disappeared, leaving Hermione alone in the kitchen.

Hermione tapped her thighs as she stood and continued walking around. There wasn't much to see as the suicide had happened several days before and most everything had been cleaned up. She decided to walk into the back garden to see where the plant had been located.

All she found was an empty hole in the ground and she assumed it was either taken as evidence or Hestia had thrown it out. She turned to leave and saw Magpie standing a few yards behind her. Magpie took a second before she said anything, twisting that dish rag harshly between her hands.

"You must find out who hurt Flora. She was planning a big Samhain party, she was happy. She would not kill herself. She sent me to market for two hours on that day and I came back and she was dead. No one listens to house elves. I told them she wouldn't."

Hermione nodded and knelt in front of her, "I promise I'll do whatever I can to find out what happened, Magpie."

"There was a man, tall man, who was coming to see Mistress Flora at nighttime. They would cover up their talking so Magpie couldn't hear."

"Magpie, did you tell this to the other Aurors? This is important."

"No, I couldn't." The house elf looked horrified. "It would tarnish Mistress Flora's reputation. But you is a filthy muggleborn slime, no one would believe you."

"Magpie, was this a lover? A romantic man she was seeing?"

Magpie shook her head, "I never seen him without his cloak on, but I knews that Flora was scared of him. I tried to tell her to not bring him around no more, but she wouldn't listen." Magpie shifted her weight on each foot, before looking up at Hermione. "And I heard him say one thing. He said 'a bee and toe'. I don't know if they was potion ingredients or what, but Mistress Flora just nodded and smiled."

Hermione nodded and wrote all of this down in her notebook she fished out of her bag with a muggle pen. Magpie scoffed at the pen as if offended and snapped her fingers once more, disappearing from view. Hermione tapped her pen on the notebook as she wrote down everything the house elf had said.

She then walked inside and flooed home to her tiny flat.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days. Three days she had been in the same place at the same time as she had first seen him, and he hadn't reappeared. Maybe she was going crazy and it hadn't been him. Just some other platinum blond severe looking fellow whose house she hadn't been maliciously tortured in. Whenever she thought of the time in that house with Bellatrix, the scar tissue on her arm tensed up and pulled at her.

The scar was barely visible to those who didn't realize it was there, but it always weighed on her, a constant reminder of the torture she'd underwent for the greater good. She clenched her eyes tight for a moment, willing away the trauma that she never fully recovered from. She could only imagine what Neville's parents had gone through at the tip of Bellatrix's wand.

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. He was there. At the same newsstand, smiling _again_ at the muggle selling him the paper. His eyes scanned the crowd around him and just skimmed over her. She was otherwise dressed exactly like every other muggle on the street. Bundled up with a parka and a scarf. A very intimidating figure she made herself out to be. Perhaps she should wear her witch robes next time.

She quickly left a tip and stood up, watching precisely where the elder Malfoy went. Where was he going and what on Earth was he doing in Muggle London? She knew his manor was in Wiltshire, a place she would never forget. The most beautiful house she'd ever seen became a house of horrors for her.

She became a Finder since she left home. She still worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but her role was much more flexible than the day job she'd kept before to be readily available to her husband and children. That job made her want to jump out a window. She basically kept track of all of the good deeds and accomplishments of others _and_ filled in their incident sheets.

To the best of her knowledge, a Finder was the wizard equivalent of a Bounty Hunter, but she was paid a salary and didn't receive bonuses due to finding desirables. Not only was she a Finder of people, she also was a constant ear for the department and took care of any issues in the local area due to the Statute of Secrecy or rogue magical creatures. Essentially, she was a sentinel of the thirty seventh district.

Lucius Malfoy had nothing of interest to her pertaining to her work, but it had been years since she had so much heard his name. Draco (more so Astoria) had sent them a birth announcement of Scorpius years ago, and she vaguely remembers seeing Lucius' name somewhere on it. That was the last time she'd heard of his name and Scorpius had just started his first year at Hogwarts along side Hermione's daughter, Rose.

She shook all thoughts of her family from her head, she couldn't be there for them right now. She watched his loose silky hair sway in the wind and jammed her fists into her pockets, grasping her wand tightly. She'd followed him for four blocks now and he knew exactly where he was going. His steps were precise and intentional, a destination was in mind.

She trotted after him, dashing across a road only to almost be run over. Tires screeched to a stop and a horn blared at her. She ducked her head apologetically and continued on, but once she looked up, all trace of the man had disappeared.

Her brows furrowed as she continued on the way he had been going, hoping that he might appear again. She made a left and was harshly jerked to the side towards an alley, the rough brick of the wall scratching at her cheek, pinning her wand hand in her pocket. She felt the point of a wand press to her neck and heard a muttered, " _Repello Muggletum."_ She was harshly pulled down the alley and thrown into a nook behind a dumpster.

"Tell Rookwood I've no interest in his damn arrangement." Lucius grabbed her by the scruff of her jacket, nearly picking her up off the ground, "And if he sends anymore people to find me, I will pay him a very unwelcome visit." He threw her back to the ground, her hood and hat falling off in the shuffle. He leaned over her and pressed his wand to her cheek. "Don't you dare-"

His voice froze as Hermione drove her wand tip up under his chin. The closeness and violence of the elder Malfoy had caused her to break out into a cold, clammy sweat. Her breaths were shallow and fast. Fear filled her through every fingertip, every hair on her head, and every shudder of tunnel vision. She was having a panic attack.

"Rookwood didn't send you." He realized. He moved his head an inch away, but she drove her wand up with it. He could see in her eyes that she was terrified. "My apologies." He pulled his wand away from her face slowly, noting the small scratch he'd left behind.

"Is that you, Miss Granger? I haven't seen you in more than a decade. Truce?" He slipped his wand into the top of his cane and moved away from her, but she didn't follow. Her body started to shake involuntarily. "Do calm down, Miss Granger."

"Just give me a minute." She demanded. He stood an arm's length away, looking down his sloped nose at her. Her wand held its place where he'd been and the skin on her forearm tugged at her. She closed her eyes. Took deep breaths. She wasn't at the manor. She knew that. The pain she'd felt that night never left her. She could still hear the manic screams of laughter from Bellatrix rattling in her head. It been months since she'd had a panic attack. Since she left Ron.

She opened her eyes and stood up, a bit unsteady on her feet, as if her head might float away. Lucius dusted off her hat and then offered it wordlessly. She took it with shaky hands.

"Miss Granger, I am terribly sorry. I mistook you for someone else." He straightened his scarf and adjusted his coat, "There's no need to cry, child."

"I'm not a child." She shot back, finally realizing why her cheeks were stinging in chilly air. "My daughter and your grandson started school together this year. "

"Ah, I see." He looked down the alleyway he'd dragged her down, "It's a terribly cold day, isn't it? Come with me. I'll make this right."

Hermione tugged her hat on her head and wiped her cheeks. "Mr. Malfoy, I have no interest in coming with you. You just assaulted me." She went to side step around him, but he blocked her path with an outstretched arm.

"I can't allow you to leave me in the state you're in. I'll have the entire Department of Magical Law Enforcement come down on me." He gave her a smirk, "Please."

She had no idea how to respond. His pleading caught her completely off guard. It felt slimy and forced. But, he obviously knew about her position at the department, and she couldn't help but wonder what else he may know. Perhaps this could be a great opportunity to dig up some information on Rookwood who had been evading law enforcement for some time.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "If you so much as touch me, I will hex your hand off." She dusted herself off and slipped her wand back into her pocket before gesturing to the alley. "Fine. Lead the way."


	3. Chapter 3: Going Up

Not surprisingly, Lucius led her to the higher end of the neighborhood. They didn't share small talk, but he did lead her along the way. Not walking in front of her or behind, but beside her gesturing either with a hand or his polished cane as to which direction she should go. She was surprised at his mildness towards her when all she'd ever received from the elder Malfoy was a sneer or dismissal of her presence. Perhaps he viewed her as someone useful due to her position in the department.

As the side walks became cleaner, the price of the neighborhood went up. She glanced around and felt out of place in her modest clothes as she turned with Lucius towards a very tall apartment building with a doorman and a valet. Lucius continued forward, nodding at the doorman.

"Afternoon, Mr. Greengrass. Got a visitor today?" the man asked, his mustache moving of its own accord. He wore what resembled the coat of a holiday nutcracker, but he wore it proudly.

"Yes, Wilfred." A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth in near annoyance. "Come along, dear." He called over his shoulder as he tugged his leather gloves off.

Hermione nodded politely at the door man, mentally noting that Lucius was operating under a pseudonym. Greengrass was the name of his daughter-in-law. Perhaps this building was owned by her prestigious family? She pushed the revolving doors just behind Lucius and looked up at the dazzling lobby room.

The ceiling went on for ages with large windows giving natural light and illuminating the glass chandeliers leaving reflecting prisms on the walls. She'd had a chandelier fall on her at the manor, but that was the most pleasant moment of the night. The marble floors were broken up by enormous plush rugs and scattered with velvet arm chairs and couches. In just the lobby, she could count four fireplaces being attended to and a half-dozen very obviously wealthy persons sprinkled around the room. She could see why he liked this place.

She shuffled to catch up behind him as he waited for the elevator, which was also attended by a hotel worker. "Fancy place." She said quietly beside him.

His grey eyes looked over at her and he let out a small chuckle, "I suppose to you it would be." Hermione rolled her eyes and let her eyes wander around the room.

A very pointed woman was reading a book titled _Unfogging the Future._ The name lingered on her mind for a moment and she then looked in disbelief all around the room. Every person she saw had some small tell-tale sign of being a witch of wizard. Obviously wealthy, they carried books or had their familiar nearby. One of the fire attendants held his wand in his hand as he adjusted the logs. She spun to face Lucius who was already a foo into the lift. She cantered after him and hissed, "What is this place? A wizard's haven in muggle London?"

"Where did you think I would take you, Miss Granger? The pub?" he laughed under his breath as he turned to the lift attendant. "Floor 112, please."

"Yes sir. GOING UP!" He yelled so abruptly that Hermione flung herself away from him and reached into her pocket for her wand.

Lucius laid an arm in front of her, "You are on edge. Relax. No harm will come to you here. Think of it like a wizarding hotel." He demanded, clearing his voice, and resuming his stance with both hands atop his cane.

He was right, and she willed her heart to slow down. Since she'd seen him a few days ago, she'd been as jumpy as a Puffskein probably due to the trauma floating to the surface of her mind. They raised higher and higher in the lift, Hermione having to remind herself that the building was probably enchanted like the Burrow, being so high up. The click of the elevator started to agitate her as they came to a stop.

"FLOOR 112! Have a pleasant day." the man screamed one more time. Hermione nearly jumped off the lift.

Once the lift doors shut, Lucius scoffed at her. "You're like a caged animal. Have you never been somewhere respectable?"

"Mr. Malfoy, you and I have very different ideas of what 'respectable' means." She looked down the carpeted hallway, "Which one is yours?"

Once she glanced back to him, she realized he'd closed the distance between them quite quickly, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't address me as that in this place. Just because you can see me as myself, doesn't mean others can. I'd appreciate your discretion in this matter." He walked past her and it all clicked in her head.

He had an illusion charm on him. Specifically, one that didn't work on people who already knew who he was. He was in muggle London, because no one recognized him here because they'd never seen him. No one in the building realized he was Lucius Malfoy.

She shook her head and padded after him as he stopped at his door. He withdrew his wand and held it for a moment before looking at Hermione, "Privacy, please. Security measures."

She obliged and heard him mutter something quietly. It was vaguely like a combination lock in the muggle world. It magically secured the door unless the correct wand motions open it. She heard a soft click and turned to follow him.

Not quite sure what to expect, she was surprised at the size of the flat. Not that it was small, it could easily fit five of her own apartment in it. It was probably the size of the Great Hall broken into sections for the kitchen, office, bedroom, sitting room, and various other nooks and crannies. On the marble slab kitchen slab sat three self-stirring cauldrons emitting a wispy blue smoke.

She sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow. "Are you brewing Wolfsbane potion?" The smell brought back plenty of memories of Lupin teaching her how to brew the expensive potion, and Severus trying to out the former by assigning werewolf homework when Lupin was out sick. Though the smell was horrid, it did bring up good memories.

Lucius shrugged off his overcoat leaving him in a pair of nice slacks and a white oxford shirt with a black vest. He turned and hung it on the coat hook. "Impressive. You can tell a potion just by its smell?" He held out his hand, "Coat?" Hermione hurriedly took off her parka and handed the fluffy mass to him. He shook his head as he placed it on the coat hook. "It's remarkable, but not surprising."

While he appeared to be ready for a business meeting, Hermione felt underdressed in her red sweater and jeans. She kicked her Converses next to his polished black loafers by the door. Just being in his presence made her feel as though she was a schoolgirl again even though she had a child at Hogwarts.

"I could actually use your help with something." He walked towards the kitchen and she followed, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "I have enough for a few more batches, but I need more wolfsbane to complete an order. Have you any idea where I could procure it?"

"An order?" Hermione said out loud incredulously. "Are you a potioneer? And I might."

A deep guttural sound escaped his mouth as what she could only assume was a laugh. "Miss Granger, my money makes money by itself. I'm not doing this for payment. I'm doing this as a favor to an acquaintance." he flicked his wand quickly at each of the three cauldrons, their stirring wands stopping and setting themselves gently on the island. He flicked his wand towards the cabinet and a dozen glass phials lined up on the counter. "Do you know how to stopper a potion? Feel free to aid."

She took out her wand and slowly, smoothly directed the mixture into the glass phials. She stoppered them with her hands before lining them up on the far counter. With a swish of her wand, each were affixed with a paper label telling the ingredients and when it was made. Wolfsbane was a very expensive and difficult potion to make. Lucius had been in the Slug Club at Hogwarts as a student so she assumed he must have some ability, but she'd always mentally seen him sitting in a chair sipping on some form of amber liquid.

"It isn't for me, if that's what you're wondering." He took down a kettle and filled it with water before placing it on the stove. " _Lacarnum Inflamare."_ A small ball of flame lit the stove from the tip of his wand.

Hermione smiled. That had been the spell that she had lit Severus Snape's cloak on fire when she thought he was trying to kill Harry during a Quidditch match. The tall metal barstool screech as she adjusted her weight at the kitchen island as Lucius miniaturized his cauldrons and put them away. He placed his hands flat on the island. "Did you find me or happen upon me, Miss Granger?"

His hair fell forward, and he looked her square in the eye. He wasn't threatening or threatened, he simply wanted to know how on Earth she had shown up here. She felt very peculiar in this moment, as if her entire life had led up to this moment. A sense of déjà vu crept at the edge of her mind and she clasped her hands in front of her on the cool, smooth marble.

"A bit of both." She looked down at her hand, the stray coils from her ponytail tickling her neck, making her hair stand on end. "I saw you four days ago and had started to think I was insane. And then I followed you today and you slammed me into a wall and then into the ground. And now we are having tea. Fantastic reunion." The kettle whistled on the stove and he attended to it. Two ivy painted teacups levitated themselves to the table, as if the kettle called them to attention.

He tapped the tea leaves into each cup, following with the hot water. "I hadn't meant to assault you. I believed you to be someone who has had a hard time leaving me alone lately." He dropped two sugar cubes into each cup and Hermione watched as two spoons stirred the tea by themselves.

"Rookwood?" Hermione sat up straight and put on her listening ears.

"Unfortunately, yes." He slid her teacup over and took his to the sitting room before settling himself on a plush velvet armchair. "He doesn't like being told no."

She sat across from him and lightly blew on her tea before taking a sip. "That must be frustrating for you. It was terrifying to me."

He looked at her squarely. "You are sharper than I remember. Is it simply because you're nervous?" He took a sip and savored it with closed eyes, "Like I said, no harm will come to you here."

Hermione realized she was being impolite with her quips and decided she needed to be approachable if he would be of any use to her. "I apologize for my tone. I was just caught incredibly off guard and use sarcasm as a defense mechanism." What did she just say? That seemed rather honest of her.

He took another sip before asking, "What exactly are you doing in London?"

"I'm working. I got sent here to watch over this district and keep an ear to the ground of any misgivings or issues in the local area." She overshared again. She bit the inside of her cheek. "What does Rookwood want with you?"

"Ah I see. He wants to reignite the Death Eater regime and find a new Dark Lord to follow to ensure pureblood supremacy and muggle enslavement. And how is your marriage?" He asked lightly, blowing on his cup of tea. His eye flicked to her ring finger which only sported a tan line of a ring now gone.

"I'm filing for divorce. I moved here and served him with the papers." Hermione said and then screwed her face up in anger. She threw the cup of tea on the carpet, "You truthied me, you bastard!" She pulled her wand out and pointed it at him, "Veritaserum is maintained regulated by the Ministry of Magic and banned from home use. I could arrest you right now."

"You could, but you also used it on me. So, by law, you could be held responsible as an accomplice." He held up his own cup of tea and took another sip. "I had to be sure you were who you claimed to be, or I would've had to kill you. In all seriousness. Does anyone else know that you've seen me?"

Hermione fought the truth wanting to erupt out of her mouth, but she was so mad she couldn't control it. "I told Harry I thought I saw you, but he said I was probably seeing things. If you ask me another question, I swear to Merlin I will blast you out of that chair."

"Well, since you can only tell the truth, I'll go ahead and believe you." He looked up at her frizzy hair and red with either anger or embarrassment face and took another calm sip of tea.


	4. Chapter 4: Persistent Risks

_**Laws catch flies but let hornets go free.**_

 _ **-Scottish Saying**_

 **Chapter 4: Persistent Risks**

Hermione stared at the flaxen haired man as she watched the clock. She couldn't believe that she'd so easily been tricked by a Death Eater. Her nails tapped the polished wood table as the minutes ticked by, earning an exasperated sigh from the older man cross the table. "Are we quite done?"

"My favorite color is pink." Hermione tested her words before concluding that the potion's effectiveness had abated. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I will give you two minutes to convince me why I shouldn't drag you in for possession and administration of a Level 3 intoxicant."

Lucius stood and walked over to the marble slab island, "I had to make sure you were actually who you said you were. I have a lot of very bad people after me, Miss Granger, and I didn't want to take that chance." He poured the rest of his own spiked potion down the drain and turned to look at her, leaning his hips against the island and crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you aware of what the Sacred Twenty Eight are?"

Hermione couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes, "The twenty eight truly pureblood families? One of which you are?" Hermione tucked one of her bushy curls behind her ear as she listened to him. There had been a story ran in the Daily Prophet about the Sacred Twenty Eight and how they were attempting to overthrow the Wizengamot and install a House of Lords. She knew it was all rubbish and would never happen, but it was enough for her boss to make it a priority to report back if she heard anything.

"The same." Lucius stared fixedly on a tile on the floor, "Just because they've put my name on that list doesn't mean I share their ideologies."

Hermione screwed her face up in a look of confusion, "You are the poster boy of pureblood supremacy, sir. I quite remember you trying to kill me and my friends when we were _fifteen_ in the Department of Mysteries." Her eyes narrowed as she talked, remembering that horrible night. Fearing she'd lost her friends and dealing with the pain of losing Sirius.

Lucius' eyes flashed steel grey, "You have a daughter, don't you? And a son, if I'm not mistaken?"

"What does that have to…," Hermione started, raising an eyebrow.

"And you're what? Roughly late thirties? Your youngest started this year at Hogwarts, isn't that right?" His words were getting choppy and severe. The seething tone of his voice put her on edge. "Imagine, if you will, that I am immortal. No one has been able to kill me for decades. On top of that, I'm insane and abusive and volatile and I really, really dislike being disappointed." He snapped his mouth shut so forcefully that his teeth clicked before he continued.

"Imagine I ask you to retrieve something for me. Something seemingly simple and you are thwarted by a handful of teenagers and decrepit old teachers. How would I fully punish _you_ , a mother? Of course, I will torture you to the brink of insanity. That goes without saying." He flicks his hand nonchalantly, "But, _your_ real punishment will be watching your children carry out a deed that you couldn't fathom."

He drew in a sharp breath as if something burned him, "While I was on the wrong side of the war, I simply did everything I could do to protect my family. I'm sure you can understand that."

"That's not an excuse."

"Did I say it excused my behavior?" He nearly barked before he turned and rested the palms of his hands on the cool smooth marble, hanging his head low between his shoulders. "But, if some madman, that you couldn't possible beat in a duel, threatened your children, you would do some pretty vile and abhorrent things to protect them."

Hermione watched his heavy breathing become lighter as he took slow breaths and she pondered what he'd said. She decided that he was right. That if it came down to it, she would kill for her children. Begrudgingly, she slowly lowered her wand and slid it into her back pocket. "That was three minutes."

Lucius let out a choked half-laugh and shook his head. "There are a lot of things that I am not proud of. When I was a youth it made sense, but the more I aged, the more I realized that what he wanted, what Voldemort wanted was absolutely insane. But, I knew if I didn't answer his call, he'd have left me alive and killed Draco. And _that_ I couldn't have survived."

She breathed in deeply, the rank smell of Wolfsbane still permeating the air. "What are you doing, Mr. Malfoy, that is so dangerous you'd risk being arrested?" Her voice was firm, but quiet. She took a few steps toward the island, leaning her one hip against the island and crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at him as he stared off at some unknown point in the distance. His fingers were spread out from each palm and Hermione saw that he still wore his wedding band even as a widower of five years.

Narcissa's death had been broadcast on every news page. Rita Skeeter nearly accusing Lucius of murder between the lines. She had been found dead in her garden next to beautiful bloom of belladonna, the leaves of the flower still gripped in her hand and its berries still crushed between her teeth.

Suicide in the wizarding world was still something of a shock and nearly unheard of, so every conspiracy theorist that owned a wand wrote theories of murder and conspiracy. They had analyzed every single move that Lucius, Draco, Scorpius, and Astoria made before Astoria's own death the year before. No charges were ever formally charged against the Malfoy family since there had been no evidence to support such a claim, but people still gossiped.

And then Lucius Malfoy had disappeared only a month after the passing of his daughter-in-law, Astoria. Despite the curse that had been long known to affect the Greengrass family, there were rumors of Lucius' hand in her death as well. Astoria was one of the few pureblood families that spoke out against pureblood supremacy, and Hermione felt proud that Draco had picked such a wonderful spouse. Lucius' disappearance after Astoria's death only fueled the narrative that he had something to do with their deaths.

As the silence stretched out taut between them, she prompted him quietly, "Mr. Malfoy."

"I know they killed Narcissa." He gasped for a breath he didn't realize he was holding. His lungs sucked in the conditioned air as he squeezed his eyes tightly and shook his head, Hermione could almost see the images he was trying to free himself from. He had been the one to find Narcissa in her garden.

"Mr. Malfoy, a lot of people are fighting demons inside themselves." She offered quietly, averting her gaze to give him some semblance of privacy. "Struggles that loved ones and neighbors know nothing about." Her eye brows sagged as her heart ached for this haunted man. She couldn't imagine how much he blamed himself. "I personally worked on her case and it was ruled a suicide for a reason. No one was responsible."

"Did you check the dirt?" His eyes opened slowly, and his voice drawled.

Hermione's arms tightened around her chest involuntarily, "The dirt? What dirt?"

"Narcissa didn't – wouldn't have belladonna in her garden. I'll tell you story." He smirked and turned around, leaning his back onto the island as he tilted his head up towards the ceiling and shut his eyes. "Shortly after we were married, before Draco was born, Narcissa had started her garden of roses, azaleas, lilies, and more. But no narcissus. She had told me, 'It would be simply narcissistic to have those flowers in here.'" He let of a low chuckle before continuing.

"As I'm sure you're aware, I am a _collector_ of items of the Dark Arts. It started out harmlessly, I just collected them. The Dark Lord saw it as something I did that made me sinister. I never used them, I was simply a collector. Regardless, one day I brought an assortment of plants home. Foxglove, hemlock, lily of the valley, crab's eye, tansy, and even some belladonna. Do you know what all of those plants have in common. Miss Granger?"

"They are all poisonous." She easily concluded from her first year of Herbology lessons.

"Exactly. I wanted to brew poisons _for fun._ I realize it was idiotic." He held up a hand to stop Hermione from interrupting, "And I _know_ it's illegal. I was young and stupid, you were once, too." He shifted his weight, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked off. "Do you know how Narcissa reacted?" Hermione shook her head and he continued.

"She blew up on me. One of the few times that she ever did. She kept talking about how they could easily be mistaken for another and how some of them couldn't even be handled with bare hands. They were dangerous, this is stupid, I was thoughtless, how could I have brought so much danger into the house." He ticked off each reason his wife had said on one hand. "And lastly, she said that our children would unknowingly pick off the belladonna berries because they looked exactly like blueberries to little children." He took in a deep breath, "And then she told me she was pregnant."

He huffed and flitted his eyes over to Hermione's, "Narcissa would never have planted that in her garden. Never in a million years. And the dirt around the plant was freshly tilled and aerated. Just barely planted. Someone must've killed her and made it look like a suicide." He cut Hermione off before she could interrupt, " _If_ Narcissa wanted to end her own life, she would have at least left a note. Something."

Hermione's eyebrows knitted together, "Did you tell any of this to the Aurors?" Her tone was accusatory, but she couldn't stop herself.

He laughed, "And what? Give them _evidence_ that I had done it?" He shook his head, "I had tried to persuade one of the Aurors that I knew there was foul play and he said, 'Sir, how do you _know_ that? Were you involved?' and I knew that I was on my own." He walked over to his sleek stainless-steel refrigerator and pulled out the fanciest bottled water she'd ever seen. It was a glass bottle reminiscent of a wine bottle and he offered her one. When she shook her head quickly, he said, "I promise I've no more tricks up my sleeve." He sat the glass bottle on the milky marble and retrieved one for himself.

"Thank you." She mumbled, wordlessly spelling the bottle for any potions or poisons regardless. It seemed clean, with only a light spell put on it. "Is this enchanted water?" He nodded as he snapped the top open and took a swig. Hermione opened hers as well and took a small sip. "Whoa!" she mumbled, pulling the drink from her lips, and staring at the bottle. "It tastes like raspberry tea."

"The enchantment makes the water taste like whatever you need at the moment. Mine tastes exactly like whiskey, nonalcoholic though. It doesn't change the substance of the water, just the flavor."

"Why have I never heard of this? What's it called?" She took another sip of the water, relishing the taste on her tongue.

Lucius smiled widely as his bottle hovered in front of his mouth, "It's called Ambrosia, and you probably haven't ever had it because it's quite expensive."

"Well, being the drink of the gods, I could see it being expensive."

He smirked at her, obviously pleased she knew the reference. He took another sip of his drink and looked at her pointedly from across the island. "Will you help me?"

Realization clicked in Hermione's brain as she realized why she was here and just exactly why he'd slid her the truth potion. What he was suggesting was dangerous and crazy. Hermione just happened to be a high-ranking official in Magical Law Enforcement and could access more information than Lucius could even get his hands on.

It had been quite sometime since someone needed her help, since her brain had been given he pleasure of working a thoroughly challenging problem. She raised her water once more and took a sip. This was dangerous, crazy, and stupid. She knew better than to get involved.

"I'll help you."

 _ **Silly Hermione. What is she thinking?**_

 _ **Hello everyone! Thank you so much for following and reading my story so far. I know I'm inconsistent with posting, but it really inspires me to write faster when I get more reviews and views on my stories.**_

 _ **I love your comments and hope that this will be a great story for you!**_


	5. Chapter 5: The Things We Overlook

_**There is a distinct, awful pain that comes with loving someone more than they love you.**_

 _ **Steve Maraboli**_

 **Chapter 5: The Things We Overlook**

She needed to make a quick trip to the Ministry to pull Narcissa Malfoy's case file and Hermione knew that it meant possibly seeing Ron or Harry or any friends that knew what was currently happening between them. She pulled all her trademarked bushiness into a tight bun and pulled a knitted cap over her ears. Hermione had found that with the disappearance of her curls, that most people didn't even recognize her. Except for Ron.

She gathered herself after being flushed in and patted her dark jeans even though she knew that there was nothing on here. It was almost an involuntary action at this point. She pulled her stuffed parka closer to her body, knowing she stuck out like a sore thumb in her muggle clothing amidst all the swishing cloaks.

She decided it would be easier to blend in, so she took her wand and transfigured her parka into a half cloak in the same shade of chocolate and continued to the Records Department. She kept her head down mostly as she navigated the crowd in the large atrium before turning down a long hallway. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a plume of fire red hair coming in her direction but sighed to only see Percy in deep conversation with a man with a mustache. He didn't even look up as she walked passed him.

She pulled open the door to the Records Department and was greeted with the face of Parvati Patil-McLaggen's smiling face in front of poorly lit shelves that went on for eons behind her.

"Hermione!" Her old dormmate squealed, "What are you doing here? Are you coming back to work at the Ministry?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head, causing Parvati's smile to droop a bit. "I'm actually working on something else and I just needed to get a few case files for some light reading."

"Yeah, right. Light reading to you is an entire shelf of budget reports." The twin behind the desk had aged gracefully, settled, and was expecting a baby soon.

Hermione's face lit up and she rushed to the desk, peeking over to see Parvati's full belly. "How soon? I nearly forgot you were pregnant!"

"Another three weeks, but I feel great! My boss is pressuring me to take the time off, but I'd rather work up until I go into labor in case I need more time with the baby." She rubbed her swollen middle, then looked up at Hermione and clicked her tongue angrily. "Why do you just leave and not owl? No one knows where you went and every owl I've sent comes back. Hermione, what is going on?"

Hermione had been thankful for Parvati maturing soon after the war. Which wasn't surprising because the war had taken Parvati's best friend, Lavender Brown, and the war had a sobering effect on all the children who fought in it. They had both taken up jobs in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and went through training together and were even each other's first partners. The bond they shared was one of close friends.

"I'm sorry." Hermione offered while scuffing her ankle boot against the floor.

Parvati looked at Hermione pointedly, her two dark sheaves of hair falling on either part of her face and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Ron?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow. Hermione only nodded, and Parvati heaved out a sigh. "You better let my owls through from now on, okay?" '

Hermione agreed and smiled at her friend. With everything going on with Ron, her first real best friends were not people that she could easily talk to as one was Ron's sister, and the other was Ron's best friend. Parvati had become a sounding board for Hermione following a drunken unbreakable vow that Parvati couldn't communicate what Hermione said to anyone else. Parvati knew the brunt of what happened between the two of them and had been surprisingly supportive to Hermione throughout it all.

"Okay," Parvati tapped her wand on the desk in front of her, "What do you need?"

"I need an old case I worked on. Case SZ00003248. All of the other case files associated with it as well."

Parvati tapped her wand on top of an old muggle filing cabinet to her right and the drawer flung out about ten feet so quickly it shifted the Indian girl's hair in the breeze generated. Parvati stood with one hand on her back and Hermione wished she had been that stunning in either of her pregnancies. Hermione admired the emerald sheath dress that Parvati wore that showed off her bump splendidly from the side but made it almost nonexistent head on. "Here it is!" She pulled a four-inch-thick folder out of the cabinet, "That's just yours." She laughed and grabbed several other folders in the same location. She stacked them beside each other and laughed again. "Yours is equal to six other case files. You're insane."

Parvati sat and flipped over each one of the folders. "Oh, I remember this. It was our last case together before I chose the luxurious promotion to the Hall of Records." She waved her hand grandly to the looming room behind her. "Such a sad case. Why do you need it?"

"I'm not doing much in London between assignments and just wanted to go through the case because something never really sat right with me." She shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but I'd just like to see everyone's account on it."

"Okay, sounds good." She started tapping each folder with a check out charm and stopped on the last one. "That's weird. This one has higher clearance than the rest."

Hermione leaned over the desk and took a closer look, "I have the highest clearance possible."

"I know, I'll still check it out to you. Just weird, ya know?" She smiled as she finished and then tied all eight files up with a piece of twine. "All set up and ready to go." She stabbed a finger in Hermione's direction, "Change you wards to let my owls through or I will gut you."

Hermione laughed and nodded, coming around the counter to give her old partner a hug. She heaved the thick stack of folders into her arm and took a deep breath. "Wish me luck."

"For what?"

"That I don't see Ron on the way out."

Parvati waved her hand at her as she walked out, and Hermione made her way to the atrium once more. She was almost to the exit when a hand pulled at her cloak from behind, she whipped around to see a red-faced Ron who had clearly been running at full speed merely seconds ago. She stared at him for a moment with the most confusing swell of happiness and anxiety at seeing him in the same moment.

"Can -can we talk?" He huffed. "Please? Please, Mione. I need to talk to you."

"How did you-"

"Percy told me he saw you."

Hermione huffed herself. Weasleys always stick together. "I don't really have time right now. I have to get back."

"To where? You've either ignored all my owls or refuse to be found. This isn't something I mess around with, Hermione."

Her heart beat against her chest. "Ron, please. I can't right now."

Ron leaned forward and put his mouth to her ear, "Just tell me." His voice cracked, "Is there someone else, Mione?" His question was forced but quiet. Not meant as an accusation or an insult, but as a plea for understanding what was happening to him. To them.

"No, no, no." She hissed at him, looping one arm around his shoulders in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him and into an alcove off the main atrium. "It's nothing like that. I promise. I wouldn't ever do that to you." His body was firmly pressed against her, pressing her into the wall behind her. His head leaned against the wall above her and he let out a deep sigh of relief.

She felt him flick his wrist and felt the familiar chill of a disillusionment charm fall over them, giving them a semblance of privacy. He refused to let her go and just stood there for some time holding her to him.

"What is even happening, Hermione?" She could hear the tears in his voice and she bit her lip nervously.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I just, I don't even know what to tell you." She sighed and felt her own tears welling up. Being this close in proximity to him made her want to just go home, but she knew she couldn't. It would be a week before she left again.

He pulled away from her barely and took her face between his hands and pressed his forehead against her. "I still love you Hermione. And I won't sign those stupid papers until I understand how you can love me and want to leave me. You're everything to me."

She looked up into his heated blue eyes and almost drowned in them again. "I just can't, Ron." She pulled her face out of his hands, but she was stuck between him and the wall. "I'm feeling overwhelmed right now, can you give me some space?"

He nearly jumped back away from her, willing to give her absolutely anything but the one thing she needed from him. "I'm sorry, but I know there's something here. I love you, Hermione Jean. And I will not sign those papers as long as I feel that. Whatever this is, we can work through it."

Hermione pulled the stack of folders to her chest, forming a boundary between them. "It's not completely up to you, Ron." Her eyes stayed down. "I really do need to go though." She started to walk past him, but he shot out an arm in front of her against the wall. "Ron, let me pass."

"You shall not pass." He said with a deep voice and a lazy smile on his face and Hermione let out a choked laugh. While she was distracted he leaned down and placed a three second kiss on her temple before he let his arm drop. "I'm not giving up."

She nodded as she walked past him and into the Floo for The Leaky Cauldron. From there she apparated to a block and half away from her flat, transfigured her cloak back into her parka, and walked the rest of the way. Her heart was still pounding as she made it into her flat and flung the folders onto the small table. She shook her hands as if she could shake off her anxiety.

She let out a yell and smashed the lamp into the wall.

She was surprised to be woken up by the sound of knocking on her door. She hadn't invited anyone to her flat at all and she grabbed her wand from the nightstand, holding it tightly between her fingers. She padded the short walk to the door of her flat and peeked through the peephole.

She screwed her face up in agitation at the tall blond man standing outside of her door, who looked just as agitated standing outside of her inferior muggle housing. She disabled her wards and opened her door, "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"I followed you." His voice held a hint of humor, but she rolled her eyes anyway. She stood to the side and waved her arm grandly for him to come in. He took a few steps in and seemed to contemplate not removing his leather gloves before finally taking them off. He regarded the lamp remnants on the floor. "Interesting décor you've chosen."

"Sorry." Hermione mumbled. "I had a talk with Ron. It didn't go well." She magically repaired the lamp and set it back on the table before turning to Lucius who was regarding her coolly.

"Does he normally talk with furniture?" He finally asked pointedly with his eyes narrowing. If there was one thing she knew about Lucius Malfoy, it was that he abhorred domestic violence. He could sink his cane into the head of a house elf, but a sheer mention of domestic violence, even amongst muggles, sent him on edge.

"No," Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, "No, no. I broke the lamp. We didn't talk here. It was when I was at the ministry for _your_ case files, and I was feeling overly anxious. I acted out and broke my lamp. It's fine. He's never hurt me. He never would." She took in a breath as she realized she hadn't thought out her explanation.

Lucius nodded his approval, unfastened his coat, and hung it on the back of her yellow armchair. "You were able to get the files on Narcissa?"

Hermione nodded and gestured to the files haphazardly strewn around her bed. She had fallen asleep looking them over. "Yeah, most of it was just normal stuff. But there was one Auror on the case that was dead set for you having murdered your wife." She tucked some hair behind her ear and tucked one leg under her as she sat on her worn quilted bed.

Lucius looked confused for a moment as to what to do before finally deciding on dragging the yellow armchair across the floor to be near Hermione's bed. Her flat was a small studio apartment and was probably the size of Lucius' bedroom closet.

"How do you live here?" He asked dejectedly looking around.

Hermione waved her hand around the walls jammed with bookcases and books and small potted plants. "Like this." She smiled sarcastically before looking back at the file. "Auror Douglas McKent? Do you remember him?"

"He's the one who ask how I _knew_ Narcissa had been murdered." Hermione nodded and jotted it down on her notebook beside her. "I believe that the Malfoy's and McKent's have history in an unarranged marriage due to the bride falling pregnant by a Muggle before the wedding. Threw their family into disgrace and caused them to fall out of the Sacred Families."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know that my blood is the same as yours, right?"

He looked at her squarely with grey eyes, "Let's not have this chat again."

She nodded and held up her own four inch thick file. "While I would love to have you go through these files with me, I just can't let you." He sighed, "That and if I let you touch these, your hands would catch fire. Ministry is really picky about who reads their files." He nodded and sat down in the yellow armchair.

"But I can dictate it to you." She smiled at him and he offered a small nod in return. She cleared her throat and started to recite her police report on the incident.

Case Number: SZ00003248

Date: 13 August 2014

Reporting Officer: Deputy Granger  
Prepared By: CPL P. Bruster

Incident Type: Suspected Homicide 8/13/2014

Ruled a Suicide 9/13/2014

Address of Occurrence: The Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, England

Witnesses:

Flutter: House Elf Employed by the Malfoys. Female, 44

Lucius Malfoy: Homeowner and husband of deceased. Male, 51, Caucasian

Draco Malfoy: Son of the deceased. Male, 25, Caucasian

Evidence:

Poisonous Belladonna plant

No sign of forced entry

Weapon/Objects Used:

Belladonna Berries

On August 13, 2004, at approximately 17:38, Flutter the House Elf apparated into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with a request of aid at Malfoy Manor. At 17:49, I and P. Patil apparated to the gate of Malfoy Manor, where I was accosted by the same House Elf insulting my blood heritage. We were led by the elf to the back garden where I found Lucius Malfoy holding the body of the deceased, Narcissa Malfoy. Draco Malfoy was sitting on the ground several feet away with his mouth covered by his hand. Both men appeared distraught, upset, and panicked.

I approached Lucius Malfoy and instructed him to put down Narcissa's body and step back. He either couldn't hear me or ignored me, which is when I knelt and touched his arm and instructed him again. He slowly put her body down on the ground and went to sit next to Draco. Lucius put his arm around Draco, both upset.

I proceeded to cast a prognosis charm, deducting Mrs. Malfoy had died about 3 hours prior and from ingesting a lethal amount of belladonna berries. Mrs. Malfoy still had berry residue in her mouth, staining her fingers, and a grouping of leaves clutched in her hand. I then sent my otter patronus to get backup from the department.

The plant was planted in front of Mrs. Malfoy's body in one of her garden beds.

I walked the grounds and found nothing amiss or evidence of foul play. When the male Malfoy's were questioned on site, they claimed to have just gotten home from a day of robe shopping. Narcissa was supposed to be having a tea party with friends; Isobel MacDougal, Beatrice Travers, Hespia Bulstrode, and Flora Carrow. Lucius offered a list detailing the party that was supposed to start hours before.

Six more aurors appeared at 15:01 on site, with McKent and Joren immediately set to questioning the two present Malfoys. I felt his line of questions was accusatory, so I intervened and asked him and his partner to go check around the body. I insisted to take over questioning as McKent seemed unruly, upset, and aggravating from first coming onto the property.

I asked the routine questions and received adequate answers on his and Draco's whereabouts, their current relationship with the deceased, and the contact information for those expected to attend the even that afternoon. Both men insisted that everything had been fine before they'd left about four hours before for a custom fitting. I asked about the mental stability of Mrs. Malfoy, asking if she had seemed off lately or distant. Lucius Malfoy insisted they had been perfectly happy.

The body was taken to the Ministry for assessment at 15:21 and the aurors left the property at 15:30 after checking the Priori Incantem on each of the Malfoy's wands.

Lucius Malfoy: Lumos (to light a dark changing room)

Draco Malfoy: Scourgify (to clean his boots after stepping in a mud puddle that morning)

(Update 8/15/2014)

All four women claimed to receive Mrs. Malfoy's fox patronus shortly before the event canceling the party. None of the four women were able to conjure a patronus, so none could respond promptly. Flora Carrow said that the message sounded a 'bit sad' but she had just assumed that Lucius had made her cancel for some reason. A Priori Incantem on Mrs. Malfoy's wand showed a patronus as being her last spell cast.

(Update 8/17/2014)

The Malfoys have secured their alibi and are officially non suspects in this case. Mr. Gibbons, the tailor at Twilfitt and Tatting's has corroborated their stories with bank notes noting the time and date of their departure from his store. Both wizards were purchasing new custom fitted dress robes and were on time for their appointment at 13:00.

Hermione paused her reading for a second. "Four-hour fitting?" She looked up to Lucius, "Isn't that a bit long for a fitting?" At the time she had only been 25 and the longest fitting she'd had must have been for her wedding dress. But even she thought four hours was a bit ridiculous.

"My fitting only took an hour, it was Draco who took up the other three, " he sighed and shifted in his seat. "Gibbons kept messing up the hem of the robe and redid it probably three times." Lucius tone took a defensive tone, "Gibbons does great work."

Hermione laughed. "He'd better." She turned her head back to the file and kept reading.

(Update 8/19/2014)

Purchase records show that Narcissa Malfoy purchased the belladonna plant a week before August 13th. She had purchased the plant from Borgin and Borgin's on Knockturn Alley on August 6th. Mr. Borgin willingly showed the purchase receipt with Narcissa Malfoy's signature.

Lucius looked up at her and then stood and walked to the fireplace. "That was never shared with me. What day did you say the purchased happened?" Her turned his head towards Hermione, but his gaze was fixed to the floor.

Hermione glanced over the page and said, "August 6th. It may not have been shared because we were technically still treating it as a possible homicide." She watched his hand on the fireplace rub together absent mindedly, "What is it?"

"Narcissa and I were in France until the 6th, and she didn't go out after we got home. There's no way she could have purchased that plant." He walked towards her kitchenette, stopped, and gave a growl of frustration as he smacked the wall, causing a few of her books to quiver on their shelves. "Why didn't they ask me? She can't have purchased it so either Mr. Borgin was lying, or someone was impersonating Narcissa."

Hermione couldn't quite explain the feeling that was banging around in her chest. Shame? Regret? She wondered if she really gave her all to looking into Mrs. Malfoy's death, or if she had tried to be done with it because it so obviously pointed towards the woman taking her own life. She felt embarrassed that such a simple fact had been overlooked in the case that could have easily pointed towards foul play and it was partially her fault.

"I guess I should go talk to Mr. Borgin then," She muttered before standing and gathering all the files in a pile on her bed and slipping them into her nightstand drawer. She walked over to the coat tree in the corner of her room and picked up a deep cobalt blue set of Auror robes. She snapped the fabric in the air beside her to shake off dust and wrinkles, it had been a while since she donned them.

She fastened the high neck around her throat with an audible snap and pushed her hands through the billowing sleeves and tight forearms of the robe. It fell to about her mid-thigh and was full at the bottom which gave freedom of ample movement while not becoming a tripping hazard. She had been the one to commission a new style of robes for Aurors, ones that would be easy to run in, distinctive, and able to identify by silhouette. It was made of a light material that was charmed to stay a comfortable temperature as well as impervious to the rain. It was one of her nicer charm projects.

Her hair was wrapped into a tight knot at the base of her neck and charmed to stay in place. She slipped her hat on her head of a low and short backwards arching point and fished her badge out of her pocket before fastening it to her robes. She took her wand and tapped her jeans to make them a matching blue and turned to see Lucius staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing, I was just waiting on you. Are we ready to go?" Lucius stood and slipped his leather trench coat over his clothing and Hermione held up her hands.

"You can't come with me."

"What?" His voice was incredulous, almost hurt. His stormy grey eyes narrowed imperceptibly before he straightened his posture.

"Mr. Malfoy, I am an officer of the law. I cannot bring a civilian with me to question a suspect."

"You can't go by yourself. It's getting late."

"I am more than capable of handling Mr. Borgin, sir. It just likely means he'll be alone in his store." She tugged on the front of her robe to settle it and pulled down on her hat a bit more snuggly. "Why don't you go to your apartment and I'll come after if I learn anything of use." She fastened her wand holster inside her left sleeve and slid her vinewood wand into it. She tucked her black leather gloves on as well, before looking at Lucius who stood there frozen with his coat still unbuttoned. "I'll be fine. I assure you."

He nodded and grabbed his gloves in one hand before walking out her door without a goodbye.

She watched him go and replaced her wards before dashing green dust against tge fireplace bricks and stumbling out of the Leaky Cauldron. The buzz in the room dulled when she came through, as any noise ceased when a police officer came through, but once she looked up and saw several familiar faces, the buzz resumed.

Seamus Finnegan came over and clapped her on the shoulder before pulling her into a slightly inebriated hug. "Granger! How good to see you! Care to have a drink with us?" he spread his arm out and motioned to the group sitting at a table; Luna Scamander with her husband Rolf, Lee Jordan and his wife Romilda, and Seamus' wife Alicia.

She smiled at her old friends but shook her head before tapping her badge. "I'm working right now. Headed to Knockturn Alley."

"Of course, you are. When are you not?" Seamus laughed but Hermione felt insulted. It had always been a running joke while at school, but as she grew older, her work ethic had caused many rows with both her husband and her best friends.

Luna stood and gave Hermione a hug. "We know you do great work keep the wizarding world safe from criminals and nargles. We appreciate it. Owl me and we can have tea sometime." Luna kissed her friends cheek and Hermione smiled and returned the hug before waving bye to the rest of her old comrades. She headed out into the perpetual dark grey skies and light drizzle that accompanied England in the fall.

It wasn't a long walk to Knockturn Alley, and as she made the passage, she could almost feel the difference in the two streets. There were a few women in red robes on a far corner and a homeless hag silently sitting in an entry way. It was as if the sun itself didn't wish to shine on this street, casting long shadow in places where there ought to be none.

She passed by Cobb & Webb's, Noggin and Bonce's, Dystyl Phaelanges, and The Starry Prophesier on her way to the more popular Dark Arts artifact shop. She finally arrived in front of the dark store front and assessed the property. She'd been here several times to check out accusations as a shop that specializes in selling powerful dark artefacts was a point of interest in many cases.

A gust of cold wind blew past her and she entered the shop. The large dusty shop was dimly lit, but Hermione picked her way around a Crushing Cabinet, and a glass display case with a beautiful ruby and gold necklace in it, a bloodstained deck of cards, and a jar of bone dust. A young man with a smile was waiting behind the desk when she arrived. Hermione knew him to be Cadmus Mulpepper, youngest son of the owner of Mulpepper's Apothecary. He was working off a debt his father had earned from doing business with Mr. Borgin.

"Ahh, Auror Granger. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Cadmus was a bright spot in this otherwise dark shop, and she pitied that he'd had to end up here. "Unhappy housewife? Cursed lover?"

"Hello Cadmus." She smiled at him warmly before clicking her tongue at him. "I was wondering if Mr. Borgin is in? I have some questions I need to ask him."

"Of course. Let me go grab him." He turned and went into the back of the shop where the offices were located.

Hermione took a couple steps in the small area of the store, examining the spines of several ancient books and tossing the math around in her head if she was actually considering purchasing one when she heard a scuffle, and something thump to the floor. Her hand dropped to her side, quickly releasing her wand into her hand.

"Mr. Mulpepper? Mr. Borgin? Is everything alright?" She walked carefully around the front desk and walked the wood paneled dark hallway decorated with several ominous paintings towards the walnut office door that was shut. She held her breath for a moment and heard nothing on the other side of the door. She pushed the door open with her wand at the ready to see Cadmus unconscious on the ground and Mr. Borgin in his still revolving chair, both of his eyes missing from singed eye sockets. She knelt to make sure Cadmus was still alive before walking any closer to Borgin.

She heard a ruckus from outside the open window and ran to it, seeing a tall cloaked figure dashing behind a sharp corner. Before anything else, she cast her Patronus charm and sent a message to Harry to send reinforcements to Borgin and Burke's. "One dead, one down at Borgin and Burkes. Giving chase to the north." She jumped from the window and landed squarely on her feet as she ran full force down the alleyway.

She could hear the echo of the assailant's boots on the ground, but the alleyway broke into too many branches. She quickly grabbed gold dust from her pocket and whispered, " _Appare Vestigium!_ " The gold dust flew from her hand and illuminated the runner's foot prints, which she quickly followed down a narrow alley.

Her heart pounded in her chest and her breath stung as she ran down the alleyway when the echoing footsteps suddenly stopped. She slowed at a corner and peeked around to see the cloaked figure standing face to face with a solid brick wall. She watched him for a moment, but he didn't move, and she came out with her wand drawn.

"Auror Granger from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Toss your wand aside and put your hands behind your head." She watched as the man's body convulsively twitched at her voice, but he didn't move. She narrowed her eyes and raised her wand. " _Petrificus Totalus_!" She cried, a bolt of white light jumping from her wand to the figure.

Their arms snapped to their sides and they fell sideways, the cloak falling from their head, revealing a twitching Cadmus Mulpepper. "Cadmus?" Hermione called out before walking towards him. She ceased her spell and he fell limp, though his limbs kept twitching as he stood up and walked towards the brick wall again. "You're under the Imperius Curse, aren't you?"

Hermione quickly conjured her otter in front of her, "Harry, Cadmus in the shop isn't the Mulpepper -"

" _Reducto!"_

Hermione immediately shoved Cadmus to the side on instinct and watched a bolt of bright blue fly past her nose and into the wall right beside her, pulling down the brick wall down on top of her. She turned to run, but the explosion caught her from behind, letting her only catch a small glimpse of a very smug duplicate of Cadmus slowly lowering his wand.

The sharp ringing caused by the explosion vibrated in her skull and she brought her arms up to protect her head from the falling debris of the brick building behind her. She coughed through the red dust around her and cried out in pain as a large chunk of wall landed on her leg. She could hear the mortar from the building cracking and falling all around her as the spell worked its magic to bring it all down.

She had no idea where her wand was, it had flown out of her hand. She could do nothing as this three-story brick wall fell down and crushed her. She coughed on the dust but put all her breath behind a yell of, "Help me! Please help!"

Footsteps pounded down the alleyway and she heard a familiar voice on the other side of the debris she was trapped under. "Mione!" Ron's voice broke through the choking dust. "Mione, what did they cast? Help me out here!"

"It was a Reducto curse!" She choked and pulled her hat over her face to not breathe in the dust.

"Good girl." He called through the rocks. "I'm gonna fix this." She heard him stand back, trip over something, then he cast, " _Reparo._ "

Hermione saved her pride in him remembering the proper counter charm to the curse and waited as all the debris around her started to vibrate and piece by piece lifted off her. When the large piece lifted off her leg, she gasped in pain, "Mione, you're doing great, I'm almost done." Ron called.

The final bits of brick and mortar were lifted from her body and the wall was put back together perfectly. Ron rushed to her side and knelt down, his hands hovering for a second as if unsure where to start. She finally lowered her arms and hat from her face to show a split lip and large gash on her forehead. She struggled to breathe through her nose as she looked up at Ron.

"Mione, why'd you do that? Why'd you go someplace on your own? You know better than that." He chided just like his mother as he wiped some of the blood from her forehead so it wouldn't get in her eyes. "You scared the blood hell out of me, Mione. You can't just go off on your own."

"Ron, I don't need a lecture." She seethed, wincing as she tried to sit up. "My wand?" Ron stood and found it within seconds, placing the bit of wood in her palm. "Thank goodness it didn't snap in two. Cadmus is in the corner, I'm pretty sure he was under an Imperius Curse."

Ron walked over to assess Cadmus and Hermione cried out as she attempted to pull herself up. She cried out in pain again and watched her obviously broken and mangled leg drag backwards as she sat up. Her shoulder also hurt, but it wasn't broken, and she was fairly certain she'd broken at least one rib. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and turned to see Lucius.

"Miss Granger, we need to get you to St. Mungo's."

"Lucius, what are you doing here? I told you to go home." Right as she finished her sentence, a sharp stabbing pain in her chest made her lose her breath and she gasped.

Ron turned around at the unusual voice and immediately pulled his wand out, "Get back! Now!" He yelled, his freckled face turning quickly to red when he saw Lucius' hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch her!"

Hermione held up her uninjured arm in front of Lucius, "Ron, put your wand down. He's the reason I'm here. I was looking back into Narcissa's death." After Ron's wand arm didn't move, she gave him a look that had him lower it.

Several sets of boots were heard behind them and Harry had finally arrived with about six aurors, all of who raised their wands to point at Lucius.

McKent was the first to yell, "Hands off Officer Weasley, Malfoy. Put your hands behind your head!"

Hermione was about to admonish all of them when she was consumed by a round of coughing that left blood in her hand and on her chin. "Lucius, take me to St. Mungo's."

"What?" Ron said indignantly, "You want him to take you? Have you gone insane Hermione?"

"Ron, I have internal bleeding and if I leave him here, all of you will tear him apart. My injuries are too severe for onsite care. I need to go immediately." She reached up and gripped the top of Lucius' coat for leverage. "So, I'm going to get patched up and I'll have a report submitted as soon as possible."

As she struggled in pain to get up, Lucius whispered delicately, "Can you walk?"

She tried once more, but the sheer pain from her ribs, arm, and leg prevented her and she shamefully shook her head. Without a word, he gingerly picked her up from behind her knees and back, causing her to cry out in pain. "I'm sorry." He whispered and she only nodded as he Apparated them to St. Mungo's.

As he walked them into the trauma entrance and sought help, she realized how large and solid this man was. His chest was warm and solid and slowly being soaked in her blood. That was a lot of blood. It was probably why she was so lightheaded. Where was she even bleeding from? She jarringly coughed again, and some of her blood landed on Lucius' face. He shut his eyes and tensed, the way you do when a child vomits on you and you know it wasn't really their fault. "I'm sorry." Hermione whispered while grabbing her aching rib and he shook his head at her, dismissing her concern.

They had Lucius set her down on a bed and she watched as he disappeared from her blurry vision. Within about five minutes, an angry mop of red hair burst into the room. Ron explaining that a building had been brought down on her and to check for internal bleeding as well as a fractured leg.

They immediately set about pushing Blood Replenishing Potions down her throat as well as a Calming Draught when she started to go into shock. Her uniform was stripped from her, leaving her in her jeans and a plain once-yellow t-shirt. Somewhere along the way she lost consciousness.

 _ **Sorry its been so long for an update, but I hope this helps. Reviews are appreciated and I love hearing theories! Who killed Narcissa? And why? I al already working on Chapter 6, but I also am wanting to go back and edit a few chapters as well.**_

 _ **Please enjoy!**_


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